Waiting on Wednesday (25): Touching The Surface

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

The following book is on my "ARC wishlist" shelf. You know. In case anybody wants to do a trade or something. :) 

Touching The Surface by Kimberly Sabatini

September 4, 2012 by Simon Pulse

Goodreads

Life altering mistakes are meant to alter lives… 

When Elliot dies for the third time, she knows this is her last shot. There are no fourth-timers in this afterlife, so one more chance is all she has to get things right. But before she can move on to her next life, Elliot will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed…and people she’s killed. 

As she pieces together the mistakes of her past, Elliot must earn the forgiveness of her best friend and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever.

I love the name Elliot for a girl--ever since I met Elliot Reid from Scrubs. <3 But back to the book--how freaking AMAZING does it sound? Also, the cover is so mysterious. Do the birds play a significant part in the book?  LOVE. 

review: Shooting Stars by Allison Rusby

Shooting Stars by Allison Rusby
February 28, 2012
Walker & Company
Young Adult | Contemporary
Standalone
Pages: 279
Source/Format: NetGalley/eGalley
Rating: ★★★★
Author's Website | Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound


Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

REVIEW:

I love when a book pulls me into its story and I don’t come up for air until I’ve read the last page.  Shooting Stars did that to me, and I read it as fast as I could just so I could figure out what was going on.  Oh, it was crazy how fast I read it—but oh man, such a great read.

While Shooting Stars was addicting and a cute read, there were some problems I had with it. The first one is the author uses multiple punctuation to drive her point home. Sigh. I’m not sure how this was allowed, but it was like nails on a chalkboard to me. An interrobang is a question mark and an exclamation points (?!) and they can be used (although sparingly, like exclamation points! <-- haha.), but when I see: ???!!! I want to break things. What is the point of all those question marks and exclamation points?

The epilogue. Oh, that epilogue. It’s just an update of what happened after the plot was over. Sigh. I could have really gone without reading it, since I was happy the way it ended before the epilogue. It’s like the ending of Legally Blonde, where it tells what happened to everybody during their last years at Harvard? Yup.

Those were really the only two major problems, but Jo sometimes talks to the reader, which kicks me out of the story. Not good! I want to be immersed in the story, forgetting that I’m reading it. When the main character talks to the reader all the time, it’s annoying, y’know?

There were some twists I never saw coming—like huge ones. And it was shocking, and even when I think back to the beginning, I see the clues I missed. :facepalm: Ah, well, brownie point to the author! Also, another brownie point for how well written this book is, aside from the problems I had with it. The writing was awesome and not overly prose-ish which works for this type of book. Hoorah!

I wish things would have gone differently, especially when two people find out each other’s secrets. It would have been awesome if they turned around and completed their jobs! Although I see this ending’s appeal—just that I would have done it differently. (Also, whoa, that could have gotten dangerously spoilery. Sorry!)

I so recommend this read—it’s fast, addicting, and so adorably cute!


So what do you think? Excited or not for this book?

Review Copy Cleanup

Hosted by Books, Biscuits & Tea and Nyx Book Reviews

I'm not entirely sure how many books I have for review, BUT I know I have a pile at home on my nightstand whose release dates have come and gone. I have some review copies that their release dates are coming up soon, and I have some review books that aren't being released until this summer or even fall (!) but I'm living the semester of hell and I'd really like to get a majority of my review books done and read and reviewed so I can relax and do homework and read books I bought months ago.

Challenge Guidelines (from Books, Biscuits & Tea): To sign up, please go to her blog. :)

✦ This challenge runs from 1 to 31 March, 2012
✦ Sign-ups are open until 15 March 2012. After that the linky list will be closed and participation in the challenges and giveaways won't be possible for anyone who hasn't previously signed up.
✦ To sign up, just fill in the Mister Linky form below. Link to your sign up post directly, please!The Linky is the same for both our blogs, so you only have to sign up once.
✦ When you post your sign up post on your blog, either include the challenge button with your post or link it back to this article so that people know where to sign up. Thank you! 
✦ Every book you received for review counts towards the challenge, both ebooks and hard copies, including all genres and lengths.
✦ You don't need to follow the two hosts in order to be able to sign up for the event (although it's appreciated), but you do have to follow us in order to be able to enter our giveaways. In order to be entered in the giveaway, simply complete the given challenge and add the link to your post in the linky list.
✦ Challenges will be posted every week on Fridays and will last throughout the week until Thursday the next week. Every challenge ends with a giveaway. To enter in the challenges and giveaways, simply add the link to your challenge post in the Linky list in the main challenge post. It will be posted on both blogs.
✦ At the end of the event we will host our Massive Giveaway. This contains tons of prizes donated by awesome authors. All you'll need to do in order to enter this giveaway is to fill in a Rafflecopter form - as simple as that. :)
✦ Most of our giveaways will be open INTERNATIONALLY but you'll find all the relevant info about each giveaway when we post the challenges.
✦ Feel free to use the #RCCleanup hashtag on Twitter for your RCC related tweets or join in the Twitter party at http://tweetchat.com/room/RCCleanup and meet lots of lovely bloggers :)

Challenge Schedule:

✦ March 2 - Show Off Your Pile
✦ March 9 - Cuddle Up With a Book
✦ March 16 - Don't Be Such a Tease!
✦ March 23 - Mysterious Meet-up
✦ March 30 - Love Will Find a Way

Doesn't this sound FUN? I'm a little excited  to find out what those last three topics are. 

review: The Catastrophic History of You & Me by Jess Rothenberg

The Catastrophic History of You And Me by Jess Rothenberg
February 21, 2012
Penguin Young Readers
Young Adult | Magical Realism
Standalone
Pages: 400
Source/Format: Publisher/ARC
Rating: ★★★★
Author's Website | Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound


Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever. 

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally. 

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after. 

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

REVIEW:

 Oh, man, The Catastrophic History of You & Me is breathtaking. <3 At first, I wasn’t quite sure about it, but near the end, it gets SO DANG GOOD that I might’ve reread it three times. IT’S JUST SO GOOD.

Let’s look at the premise—that premise kills me every time. It’s so fascinating, and the sweetest thing (or well, suckiest thing) is that Brie’s heart actually splits in half; two perfect halves. So yeah, that’s literally what happened to her heart.

Brie herself is an interesting character. Some of the things she does seemed a bit odd and out of character, but I shrugged it off since this book was so addicting. I was hooked as soon as Brie met Patrick, who I just love. <3

I really liked the history behind those two characters—it was one of my favorite parts of the book, but I can’t SAY since it’s so spoilery. Dang IT. But it really made this book for me, so please read this book! Then talk to me about it because omg I want to talk about it to SOMEONE. Like I am *thisclose* to making my mom read the book just so I can talk about this event to somebody.

The world-building is so unique; I don’t think I’ve read a heaven book this one before. And it’s mostly set in a pizza place… and man, I wanted some pizza while reading this book. So of course I had to order some and eat it. *NOMNOM*

This book is so addicting, especially in the middle when things come to light. I HAD to know what was going on! And I just have to say that I love this cover a lot more than the ARC’s cover.

If you’re dying to read a heart-wrenching, totally interesting and twisty book, I highly suggest The Catastrophic History of You and Me.


What do you think? 

In My Mailbox (16) + Reading Pile

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. You can learn more about it here.

Credit for Rachel at Fiktshun for coming up with a weekly reading pile.

FEBREEZE. 

For Review:

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda--thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin! So excited for this one I don't even.  

Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore--thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Books! I've been dying to read this one since I saw the cover; absolutely gorgeous! And it sounds SO. GOOD. ;) 

Talisman of El by Alecia Stone--thanks to NetGalley and Centrinian Publishing. This one sounds like a good science fiction story. It reminds me of I Am Number Four, actually, from the cover to the summary. 

Won/Freebie/Whatever

My Soul To Keep by Rachel Vincent--thanks to Rachel at Fiktshun!

Evernight by Claudia Gray--it's free on Amazon right now! (but I don't know how long it will be.) I'm rather excited about this one because I've heard such great things about this series. 

Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear--another win from Tor Sweepstakes. I am so excited for this one; the cover is gorgeous PLUS the summary is enticing. Every time I read the summary I get more excited and now I have a copy of it... <3

Reading This Week:

The Academie by Susanne Dunlap

February 28, 2012 by Bloomsbury USA

Eliza Monroe—daughter of the future president of the United States—is devastated when her mother decides to send her to boarding school outside of Paris. But the young American teen is quickly reconciled to the idea when—ooh, la-la!—she discovers who her fellow pupils will be: Hortense de Beauharnais, daughter of Josephine Bonaparte; and Caroline Bonaparte, youngest sister of the famous French general. It doesn't take long for Eliza to figure out that the two French girls are mortal enemies—and that she's about to get caught in the middle of their schemes. 

Loosely drawn from history, Eliza Monroe's imagined coming of age provides a scintillating glimpse into the lives, loves, and hopes of three young women during one of the most volatile periods in French history.

Ahh, this one sounds amazing, and I love the cover. AND I LOVE PARIS SETTINGS. I love Paris anything.

Thoughts From Last Week:

Hee--so proud of myself this past week! I was a reading MACHINE! You see, I had some galleys that released in February that I felt like I really should review, so I sat down and read them. Which is awesome because a lot of the time during the school week I can read about one book. I read four! NO JOKE. Which brings my total reading count for February to... ten books. but whee, books read and reviewed! 

BUT I'm still reading through February's slog of release books; it seems like a million and a half books were released this month! They're already spilling out into March, ha. 

What did you get in your mailbox? What are you reading?

Discovered This Week (5): The Harper Cover Love Edition

Discovered This Week is a weekly feature here at Gypsy Book Reviews! It's where I post all things book related that I've discovered this week, which is pretty baller, not gonna lie. HOWEVER. this isn't all book-related stuff I've found this week because let's face it, if I put it all into one post we'd be here for a while.

The last book in Sophie Jordan's Firelight series has a cover! ... and it's a little weird, I think. I really do like it, but does her face look weird to anybody else? The right side looks a little smushed, like they had to photoshop it.

However, I'm excited for this book. Firelight and Vanish have horrible cliffhangers and when I get Hidden, I'll be rereading the trilogy. Firelight has an overall conclusion with a cliffhanger ending, but Vanish's ending is abrupt and leaves the reader frustrated. At least with Hidden there'll be a conclusion and an ending (yes? I'm hoping so since it's the last book.)

Hidden is set to release September 11, 2012. Here's the summary of what it's about, so those who haven't read Firelight or Vanish, please don't read!

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory. 

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning.... 

Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Coming May 1 from Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins Did you read Divergent by Veronica Roth and dying to read Insurgent? EW has an EXCLUSIVE excerpt from chapter two of Insurgent! GO AND READ.  Man, I can't WAIT to read the rest of Insurgent!  

Basically I went "OOOOOOH" when I saw this cover. HOLY SHIZBALLS, YOU GUYS, LOOK AT THE GORGEOUS. :pets: 

MAN, I freaking love this cover. Look JUST LOOK AT IT! The town! HER HAIR. HER STANCE. HER CLOAK. The forest! The fog! EVERYTHING! I *want* this book in my greedy little hands RIGHT NOW. I don't even care how that makes me look; this book is BOUND to be amazing!

ALSO! There is a giveaway over at Redwine's blog to win a finished copy (when they're available, dude) and some swag. But don't enter because I want to win.

Defiance by C.J. Redwine
August 28, 2012
Balzer + Bray
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city's brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their males Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father's apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.


At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city's top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor's impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared. 


As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making. 

Ten by Gretchen McNeil
September 18, 2012
Balzer + Bray
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

Another cover reveal! ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. I love horror, so I am so, SO excited for this book. Gah. <3

If you want to win an annotated unbound copy of TEN, go here for the giveaway!

And their doom comes swiftly. 

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives – an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school's most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury. 

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine. 

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off the from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn't scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Glass Heart by Amy Garvey 

October 2012

HarperTeen

Goodreads

Apparently Cold Kiss has a sequel! YAY! I need to read Cold Kiss, but doesn't Glass Heart look amazing? If you want to know more about Glass Heart, you can read... things here. I haven't read the entire post since I don't want Cold Kiss to be spoiled.  

I love this cover. It fits with the series, and holy mother, I love that she actually has a glass heart! And I love the pink. I really need to read Cold Kiss now!

Wow, this has been COVER LOVE post, hasn't it? Maybe next week it'll be all trailers... 

review: A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford

A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford
February 28, 2012
Greenwillow
Young Adult | Urban Fantasy
A Touch Trilogy #2 (A Touch Mortal) 
Pages: 299
Source/Format: Publisher/ARC
Rating: ★★★★★
Author's Website | Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound


Eden won the battle-she saved her true love from the darkest evil. But the war has only just begun. With secrets swirling around her, powerful allies unraveling, and life-and death-as she knows it eroding, Eden and those she loves tread dangerous ground. Can she trust anyone? Will her unearthly powers be her salvation or her downfall? A sweeping, dark, and sexy paranormal romance that will haunt readers with an inventive mythology and a cinematic New York City filled with shadows and longing.

REVIEW:

A Touch Morbid is the amazing sequel to one of my favorite 2011 reads, A Touch Mortal. This time the stakes are higher, the world is darker, and dun dun dun: CLIFFHANGER! :flings self off cliff:

I had a hard time writing the review for A Touch Morbid. I loved it a lot, and I didn’t want to ramble like I did with my review of the first book. So after I finished ATM2, I didn’t write a review for a few weeks. I was scared to say anything because I hadn’t read any reviews of ATM2 before I read it. I only knew what it was about because Leah revealed the summary and flap copy before I got my review copy. The ARC has no summary on it.

But, see, Leah’s twists are so twisty and there’s so many of them somebody could spoil the book for me and I’d still really enjoy reading it. And trust me, the twists for A Touch Morbid are insane.

I reread Mortal before I read Morbid, and I actually recommend people do that because of the way Leah writes. She doesn’t explain anything, and I like that type of writing style. It makes me feel more in touch with Eden, who also doesn’t really understand the world. These are the books where you have to pay a lot of attention to them. You can’t be doing two things at once.

I don’t know what to say about this book without giving it all away. I want to talk about Sullivan, a new character who is… strange and interesting. I liked her a lot and the weird thing is I guessed her ending for ATM2. There’s no clues for Sullivan, so the fact that I knew was very strange. It’s like I’m psychic or something.

And it’s steamier. Eden and Az can’t lip-lock kiss because Eden’s breath will make Az fall and that’s the last thing we want, right? RIGHT?  But there’s still romantic gestures between them—and they even go on a date which I really liked. That scene… <3

Except if any of you know Leah, you know it can only be happy-times for a few pages then BAM! Something huge happens. Mood killer.

I will say something about the cliffhanger: it will make you scream. *I* screamed at the ending and then immediately flipped to the front of the book to start reading it again. I didn’t, though by the time this review actually posts I might have reread Morbid. I don’t know. It’s just SO GOOD.

And now that I look back on this review, it seems more like a ramble. Well… maybe I’ll write a coherent review for ATM3 when I can read it? 

So what do you think?

review: Partials by Dan Wells

Partials by Dan Wells
February 28, 2012
Balzer + Bray
Young Adult | Science Fiction
Partials #1
Pages: 480
Source/Format: Publisher/ARC
Rating: ★★★★★
Author's Website | Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partials--engineered organic beings identical to humans--has decimated the world’s population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanity’s time is running out. 

When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friend’s pregnancy, she’s determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the war’s origin that she never knew to ask. 

Combining the fast-paced action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Battlestar Galactica, Partials is a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question--one where our sense of humanity is both our greatest liability, and our only hope for survival.

Review:

There are some books where you set them down and the story is ALL that you can think about. I have a forgetful memory, so a lot of the time I think of the story then, “What am I thinking of?” and then I get all excited again when I realize it’s a book and I’m not done reading it. Yay! Reading Partials was like that for me. Oh man, this book took my breath away! I LOVED IT.

I don’t even know where to begin, so I guess I’ll begin with the writing style: it’s written in third person past, and a lot of the time, I forgot it was written that way. I was just so sucked into the story that I forgot it was written in third, which IS AWESOME and job well done.

The science. HOLY WOW. A lot of dystopians/post-apocalyptic books now don’t usually delve into the science part, which is weird since those genres are subgenres to SCIENCE FICTION. C’mon, where’s the science?! But in Partials there is science—the medical kind. Which is one of my favorite kinds. I come from a very medical oriented background, so it was so refreshing to read a book where the main character actually did medical things! And talked about the medical things! And TRIED to find a cure for RM and actually did things to find a cure for RM. HUZZAH!

The Partials themselves are interesting, too, and how they were built. I found them so weird how they were wired but MAN, are they interesting. I want to know MORE about them and judging by the ending of Partials, we will know more in book two!

So, from the reviews I’ve seen, some talk about a cliffhanger at the end of Partials and I just want to say, HA! There really isn’t a cliffhanger here. I guess it depends on how you view cliffhangers; the one at the end of Partials? Probably the weakest “cliffhanger” I’ve ever read… the one at the end of Vanish? Horrible, horrible cliffhanger. So for those who are thinking “I’ll read Partials when the rest of the books are out…” read it now. Please. You won’t regret it, especially if you are a huge science fiction lover.

The characters in this book are kickass. I loved Kira and Marcus’s relationship, with all its bumps and obstacles. This book is about survival, and I loved that their relationship wasn’t all happy. Yippy! Although it sucks for them, to be honest. But I love angsty relationships. ;D

Even though I guessed the big twist (seriously—guessed it around page thirty, it was confirmed for me on page 166, and then I knew I was right on page 400), I wish I had like a secret rating—six stars—just for this book. I haven’t read a book this wonderful in a really long time. A MUST read!

Waiting on Wednesday (24): The Crimson Crown

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

The following book is on my "ARC wishlist" shelf. You know. In case anybody wants to do a trade or something. :) 

(And for this book, I don't know if this book will have ARCs; it's the fourth book in the Seven Realms series.)

The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima

October 23, 2012 by Hyperion Books Children

Goodreads 

In the fourth and final book in the Seven Realms series, the stakes grow ever higher as a series of murders raise tensions between the Wizard Council and Spirit Clans to a fever pitch. With treachery on every side, Han and Raisa struggle to fend off threats from ambitious neighbors while keeping the queendom from imploding from within.

AGHHH. FLAILS. YOU GUYS. Look at the gorgeous cover! THE SUMMARY. OH MY GOD. I don't know what's going to happening, but I'm now three times more excited for this book then I was after reading The Gray Wolf Throne (third book.) Is it October yet?! 

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? 

review: A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang

A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang
January 25, 2011
Pocket
Adult | Urban Fantasy
Abby Sinclair #1
Pages: 343
Source/Format: Read online at Pocket After Dark
Author's Website | Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound


The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares.

Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.

REVIEW:

Ever since I saw the cover for A Brush of Darkness I wanted to read it. I LOVE this cover. What I love even more is that Abby in the book has pink hair. And even more love? The book ROCKS.

I was addicted right away. I did read the first chapter a few times, so when I actually read the book, I skimmed the first chapter. I knew I was going to like this book. I knew I was going to like Abby and Brystion and even the pervy unicorn. <3 AND I DID.

A Brush of Darkness is such a fun urban fantasy read. I loved the world-building the most, honestly. The CrossRoads and the Dreaming intrigued me the most, along with TouchStones and KeyStones. And I really liked the paintings that Topher did, well, I liked the idea behind them. And I can’t say much about that because it’s spoilery even though it was such an interesting part of the book. :X

Abby is a hilarious character at times, and she really likes bacon which gives her 1000 brownie points. The entire mood of the book is lighten up because of the things she and the pervy unicorn say, which is awesome. Sometimes you need a laugh when things get dark.

Back to the world-building: The Dreaming. Oh. My. God. That was SO freaking interesting, and now I understand Allison’s website which is called “Heart of the Dreaming.” I’m not going to tell you why, so go read the book. :p You’ll understand then. I just loved the concept of Brystion’s origin and creature and Abby’s dreams and her being a Dreamer. Dreams don’t usually work in books, but for A Brush of Darkness it does.

Since this is an adult book, and Brystion is an incubus, there is sex. And those sex scenes were steamy and hot and I loved it. I read a review where the reviewer says this book isn’t appropriate for YA (which he seems to think it’s labeled as YA) and I just laughed because it SO isn’t. But YA has sex scenes in it, too. I really wanted to drive home the point that this book is adult, not YA for those who have lingering thoughts.

He he he.

A Brush of Darkness is an amazing new urban fantasy series from an incredibly talented new author. I highly suggest readers picking up this one if they love urban fantasy. And the good news is that book two, A Sliver of Shadow, comes out February 28, 2012! YAY!

review: Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale
February 14, 2012
Delacorte Books For Young Readers
Young Adult | Contemporary
Standalone
Pages: 512
Source/Format: NetGalley/ARC
Author's Website | Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound


When 17-year-old Rosie's mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington's Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty percent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when Rosie tells her mother's best friend, "Aunt Sarah," that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie wasn't her real mother after all. Rosie was swapped at birth with a sickly baby who was destined to die.


Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, joining her ex-boyfriend on his gap year travels, to find her birth mother in California. But all does not go as planned. As Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonizing decision of her own, one which will be the most heart breaking and far-reaching of all.

REVIEW:

Someone Else’s Life has a unique premise, tied with equally interesting characters, and set in two countries: America and England. (<3 English narrators. <3 anything British-y.) I would *definitely* recommend this book to contemporary lovers.

First, a few problems for me: it started out going really fast; in fact the pacing is fast all throughout the novel, which threw me at first. A lot of contemporary novels don’t have the fast paced action like Someone Else’s Life. Because of this pace in the beginning, I had to care for the character right away—and I didn’t. Rosie learns that Trudie isn’t her mother, and she goes off; she’s angry about this and gets drunk and tries to hook up with a guy… and then she shreds a chair with some scissors. And I didn’t like it. It was just too fast, her emotions swirling around her, that I didn’t know what to think.

Another problem I had was the ending—it’s a happy ending, but how the characters acted didn’t feel true to themselves. I’ll try not to get spoilery, but there’s one character whose views change in a few sentences and it doesn’t make sense why s/he does.

And those are just major problems; I had a few smaller detail problems with the book, but for the most part, they didn’t bother me THAT much.

What I did like, though, was how realistic this book was. Andy and Rosie have some very serious problems, as they should. Rosie lies to him all the time, and when he finds out, he blows up. Understandable, and I liked that it showed their flaws. A lot of relationships shown are just butterflies and rainbows, but Someone Else’s Life shows relationships as they are. Also, I did like it when they made it up after their fights. I loved the romantic times between them.

There are so many twists and turns for Someone Else’s Life. I gasped and might’ve said “OMFG” while reading. I so didn’t see a lot of them coming! LOVE! It was those twists that really made the book for me. The relationship between Andy and Rosie; I loved how everything unfolded in the end. 

There is so much more to this book that I can't even begin to talk about because it'll be ruined for readers. If you're on the edge of getting this book, just trust me: you WANT to read this book and experience everything fantastic about it yourself. <3

Cover Reveal: Inbetween by Tara Fuller

Clicky to embiggen y'know.

Inbetween by Tara Fuller
August 7, 2012 by Entangled Publishing
Kissed By Death #1
Goodreads | Amazon

Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s
life has been a freaky—and unending—lesson in caution. Surviving
“accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so
Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling
in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who
makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.

It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate
has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him
hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn't let her die before,
and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves
from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the
only thing he has left…his soul.


I love the simplicity of this cover--absolutely gorgeous. What do you think about it?

In My Mailbox (15) + Reading Pile

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. You can learn more about it here.

click to embiggen y'know if you want to.

Bought:

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

For Review:

Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis--thanks to HarperTeen. 

Social Suicide by Gemma Halliday--thanks to HarperTeen.

Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby--thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury. Already read this one. SUPER. CUTE. 

The Academie by Susanne Dunlap--thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury.

Transcendence by C.J. Omololu--thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury.

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama--thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan.

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne--thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan. 

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen--thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan. 

Won:

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston--thanks to Tor Sweepstakes. Interesting thing about this one is that it's an ARC, with a release of February 2012, even though the hardcover came out January 2011, the paperback January 2012. So confused! It seems like they did an ARC print for the paperback. 

Tempest by Julie Cross--thanks to Tor Sweepstakes. I've actually already read this one, but I'm excited to have a copy even though it's an ARC and I thought I had won a hardcover. :p

Credit for Rachel at Fiktshun for coming up with a weekly reading pile.

Reading This Week:

Double by Jenny Valentine

February 21, 2012 by Disney Hyperion

When the sixteen-year-old runaway Chap is mistaken for a missing boy named Cassiel, his life changes dramatically. Chap takes on Cassiel's identity, gaining the family and friends he's always dreamed of having. But becoming someone else isn't as easy as he hoped--and Chap isn't the only one hiding a secret. As he teeters on the brink of discovery and begins to unravel the mystery behind Cassiel's disappearance, Chap realizes that he's in much deeper danger than he could have imagined. 
After all, you can't just steal a life and expect to get away with it. 

Award-winning author Jenny Valentine delivers an explosive mystery where dark secrets, betrayal, and loss pave the way for one teen's chance at redemption.


Another week of reading a netgalley book before it expires--and this one's release date is this week. This one sounds interesting, so I'm excited to read it, just not sure how it slipped by my radar!

I don't know what I'm going to read next. Maybe Shadow & Bone which is STILL HAUNTING ME. Gah. I can't WAIT! to read this one. But I do have some other February release books to read, so, I should probably be the responsible blogger and read those before a June release.


Also, a question to my regular readers: Do you like my discovered this week posts? I only ask because I thought people liked them, until my hits and comments went down on those posts. I thought it was something to fun to do at the end of the week, but I don't know anymore. I don't know if I'm wasting my time blogging because hardly anybody visits my blog and comments, even though I comment on a ton of blogs. I like blogging, but it's painful when you start to think all your time is being wasted. So I'm curious; do you like the discovered this week posts, or should I get rid of them?